Basqueculture.eus is an official website designed for international audiences, focusing on various aspects of Basque culture, art, creativity, heritage and language (Euskara). It is a window into the culture of our land. We invite you to look through the window and explore the articles, stories and essays by the people who create and shape our culture.
Art
At the turn of the new century, a woman in a black skirt stood in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge, facing the camera. She opened her legs and began to urinate, standing there out in the open.
Music
Mikel Laboa is not just any musician; he is a legend. He is still very much alive at public and private events, family meals, schools, among friends, in towns and cities.
Audiovisual
Today’s Basque cinema could be compared to a brilliant spring flower: its sturdy, upright stem leads to a series of colourful petals that sparkle in the sun, and suddenly the everything around it becomes incredibly beautiful.
This is the beginning of an amazing history, the history of the Basque people through small stories of production, industry, culture and intangible heritage.
Gastronomy
For Basques, food is a religion, a blind faith, a celebration, a matter of utmost importance.
Language
"Languages are like coats: if you only have one, it’s the only one you can wear, rain or shine. But if you have two, or three, or even more, you can decide which one to put on every day...".
Literature and books
The list that follows brings together the soul of Basque literature, a combination of prominent names as well as authors just coming out of their shells. Together they make up a sort of dream team of Basque letters.
Basqueculture.eus is also a gateway for industry professionals from other countries seeking information on the audiovisual, music, publishing, performing arts and plastic art sectors, as well as Basque heritage and language. This website will allow you to contact the main actors in these sectors.
Euskal Herria, which means ‘land of the Basque language’, is located in southern Europe, at the western end of the Pyrenees. It straddles both sides of the mountain range, through valleys and plains to the wild Cantabrian Sea. This ancient land boasts an extraordinary culture, and a language unlike any other in the world. The Basque Country, also known as Euskadi or Euskal Herria, is inclusive and welcoming, and everything is within easy reach. Having adapted to change, this modern society leads the way in Europe in terms of quality of life and sustainable development.
Euskara is the oldest living language in Europe. Its origin remains a mystery and it bears no resemblance to any other family of languages. It has survived for centuries, and in so doing, the Basques have preserved a rich, unique culture. A case in point is the robust health enjoyed by the Basque art of improvised verse (bertsolaritza), a formidable force in Basque culture today. Currently, some 900,000 people speak Basque. The language also enjoys a strong presence in the educational, cultural, social and digital spheres.
This is a land of deep roots and unique traditions, folklore, and mythology. Together with the language, they occupy a prominent place in the collective imagination. But more than just a way of interpreting the past, our heritage serves as a basis on which to forge our future. Ours is a modern land where tradition and modernity live together in harmony.